The oldest and perhaps only wireless telegraph station on the west coast is still beaming Morse code out to the world from its original outpost overlooking Tomales Bay.

 

By continuing to use the restored antique electronics at the Marconi station, Richard Dillman (the operator in the photo above) says they are practicing a form of living history.

 

The Maritime Radio Historical Society applied for and received a new commercial telegraph operators license for the Marshall station, which they now use to keep the signal actively operating on the weekends.

 

 

 

The Marconi Conference Center will host an open house displaying historical pieces of radio once used for both military and merchant ships coming into the bay. Located in Tomales Bay, the center will display the relics and provide stories of what it was like on the coast during the radio era.

 

The Radio Maritime Radio Historical Society is the driving force for the event, to visit their website click here .

 

 

Now that scientists have figured out what causes "Sudden Oak Death," they're trying to get the word out on how to curtail the spread of the tree disease.

This magnified image shows the P. ramorum spores on the underside of a California bay laurel leaf.

In addition to prevention efforts, the California Oak Mortality Task Forces is also developing some best practices for dealing with those forests where large numbers of oaks are already dead or dying.

 

 

This photo shows diseased and  tanoaks on Mount Tamalpias, one of the first areas where Sudden Oak Death appeared.

There's a map (pdf)  showing areas of oak death in Northern California here.

Or link to the Sonoma County Sudden Oak Death Strategic Reponse Plan (83 pages, pdf) here .

 Dr. David Rizzo, a leading Sudden Oak Death researcher at UC Davis, offers a summation of what is currently known about the disease, the pathogen that causes it, and how it is transmitted in a 30 minute video that can be seen here.

 

Fungi are the oldest living things on land, and with an estimated two million varieties, they may hold many yet-to-be-discovered medicinal and other benefits.

Paul Stamets, founder and president of Fungi Perfecti , has written six books on mushroom cultivation including Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms and The Mushroom Cultivator. He will be speaking at the Bioneers Conference at the Marin Center in San Rafael, on October 17^th. To find out more about the event schedule and how to register, click here .

Stamets offers a short history of fungi:

Paul Stamets has been a dedicated mycologist for more than 30 years, during which he has discovered or identified four new species of mushroom. Here, he talks about how it feels to make such a discovery.

Among the many fungal processes that hold great promise for addressing human needs, Stamets points to one that could herald important changes in ethanol production.

 

 

Alternatives to technologies that depend on fossil fuels are all around us, modeled in the natural world, and studied in the new field of bio-mimicry.

Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, is founder of The Biomimicry Institute, whose mission is to nurture and grow a global community of people, who are learning from, emulating, and conserving life's genius to create a healthier, more sustainable planet. 

 

As one delves deeper into biomimicry, Benyus says there are three levels of analysis:

There are instances of complex natural processes that could be adapted for human use all over the planet, Benyus says. African ant mounds are just one interesting example of what is being called "enabling technology."

 

SMIT GROW is an example of biomimicry. By creating solar panels in the shape of leaves, to gather energy from the sun and wind. Find out more here.

 

 

When you look at the global ecosystem, Benyus explains, humans as a species are akin to weeds, gobbling up resources with scant thought for their long-term presence where they have taken root.

 

Janine Benysus will be a keynote speaker at the annual Bioneers Conference, October 16^th-20^th, at the Marin Center in San Rafael. For more information, click here. There is a full roster of presenters here , and a detailed conference schedule here.

 

 

 

Two years ago, Measure R, a ballot initiative to fund a commuter rail system in Sonoma and Marin Counties failed by less than 1.5%. This fall, Measure Q revisits that issue with a revised proposal to build and operate the SMART train between Cloverdale and Larkspur. Sonoma County voters have generally backed the measure while opposition remains concentrated in Marin County. Both sides on Measure Q took part in this live and lively debate in the KRCB-FM studios on Thursday evening, Oct. 2.

 

To see a map of the proposed train route and station locations, click here . 

For more information on the  SMART train campaign for Measure Q, click here .

The North Bay Citizens for Effective Transportation opposes the SMART train plan. You'll find their website here.